The Governance programme seeks to contribute to better informed and more effective dialogue and cooperation in support of governance between the ACP (primarily Africa) and the European Union and Commission. Since the negotiation of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement, the issue of governance has moved to the forefront of ACP-EU relations. The challenge remains to translate the rhetoric on governance into an operational agenda which treats governance as a locally-owned process of social, institutional, and political change. Through research, analysis and facilitation of dialogue, the Governance team contributes to the design and implementation of effective EU response strategies and ACP governance initiatives .

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Our key areas of work

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The African Governance Architecture See our current activities Sector Governance See our current activities Other areas of work - Decentralisation - Non-state actors - Reform of EU technical cooperation - Domestic Accountability See our current activities

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Programme news and events

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Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs high-level conference on EU and Southern Neighbourhood: New Prospects for Mutual Cooperation in a Changing Environment. Warsaw, Poland, 1-2 December. GIZ second capacity assessment mission on the All Africa Ministerial Conference on Decentralisation and Local Development (AMCOD). Yaounde, Cameroon, 27 November-2 December. Zagranica group, Democracy & Development conference with a special focus on MENA countries, 30 November 2011, Warsaw Agenda Conference material: ECDPM Background Note more documents African Union Commission consultation on The establishment of a framework to undertake periodic review on AU member states’ compliance to AU instruments on shared values. Freetown, Sierra Leone, 11-13 October. African Union Commission-European Union expert meeting on natural resources management. Brussels, Belgium, 26-28 September. GIZ capacity assessment and political economy analysis on the All Africa Ministerial Conference on Decentralisation and Local Development. Douala and Limbe, Cameroon, 23 September-1 October. "Assises de la Coopération’’ organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg. Presentation on EU external relations after Lisbon. Luxembourg, 16 September. Development Partners Working Group on Decentralization and Local Governance (DPWG-DLG) meeting, Presentation on Challenges for harmonisation and alignment in the field of Monitoring & Evaluation of decentralisation and local governance. Eschborn, Germany, 1-2 September. European Commission, DG DEVCO seminar on EC Support to governance in partner countries with a focus on the African continent, 4-8 July, Brussels Agenda and presentations Key findings of the seminar ECDPM presentation on domestic accountability and budget support at the Maastricht Graduate School of Governance. Maastricht, The Netherlands, 21 June. African Union Commission-European Union Platform for Dialogue on Democracy and Human Right, First session of the Working Group on natural resources management, Dakar, 14-15 June European and African stakeholders workshop on the initial conclusions of the Support Study on the EC Governance Initiative, Dakar, 12-13 June. ECDPM-AGI, African Consultations on the initial findings of the Support Study on the Governance Initiative, Dakar, Senegal, 7-8 June. The Concept Note of the meeting is available here African restricted focus group meeting on the EC Governance Initiative. Dakar, Senegal, February, April & June. African Union technical consultation on EU member states' compliance to democracy and governance instruments, Bamako, 27-28 May 2011 Check here for the agenda/concept note Engaging with non-state actors in budget support and sector policy support programmes, EC External Cooperation Info-Point, 26 May 2011, Brussels Interviews of ECDPM's Jean Bossuyt and Jan Vanheukelom Annual conference of the Working Group Development and Governance (Arbeitskreis Entwicklung und Verwaltung) on domestic accountability in the context of budget support, Berlin, Germany, 5-8 May. European Commission interservice training seminar on ''Engaging Non-state actors in new aid modalities'' Draft agenda Read the leaflet presenting the upcoming Reference document N.12 Local Government and Non-State Actor’s Programme conference in support of Lesotho non-state actors, Session on Key national policy issues and opportunities/challenges for state and non-state actors. Maseru, Lesotho, 12-13 April. ODI workshop series The political economy of Budget Support. London, United Kingdom, 8-9 April. German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Presentation on The findings of the BMZ stock-taking exercise on German support to domestic accountability in the context of budget support and programme based approaches. Bonn, Germany, 6 April Presentation on the role of civil society in development and related Paris/Accra processes, in a Master course on Civil Society at the University Carlos III, Spain, Madrid, Spain, 22-23 March ODI Workshop Series Recent lessons from evaluations on Budget Support. United Kingdom, London, 22 March ECDPM virtual training on the use of online survey systems, for the staff of the African Governance Institute, 1 March. African Governance Institute-ECDPM first technical meeting on the EC Governance Initiative Study, Dakar, Senegal, 12-13 February. Pilot training course on Harmonisation, Decentralisation and Local Governance, 24-28 January 2011, Brussels Check here for more background information Course material per module or full versions of Participants' kit and Trainers' kit Check reactions from the seminar organisers and participants (videos) European Commission Structured Dialogue meeting on civil society and local authorities, Presentation on Engaging Non-State Actors in New Aid Modalities. Brussels, Belgium, 26 January. GIZ Professional forum on health and social protection, Session on The relevance of political economy approaches for German development cooperation. Bonn, Germany, 13-14 January. Jan Vanheukelom facilitated a seminar for EC staff on ''Political Economy at Work'', 11-12 January 2011, Brussels Agenda Check the presentations and key documents on the capacity4dev platform Consultation with experts from Civil Society Organisations on the EU Green Paper on Budget Support, 13 December 2010, Brussels Check ECDPM Report ECDPM's Governance team at the European Development Days, 6 December 2010 With the support of the EU Belgium presidency, ECDPM's Governance team has organised a Rountable on "Domestic Accountability and Aid Effectiveness". Check the other session organised by ECDPM on the "Post Lisbon Landscape: Development at a Crossroads" For further information on the full programme of the EDD, click here. Joint Parliamentary Assembly, Brussels, 29 September 2010 ECDPM Jan Vanheukelom's Presentation on Budget Support before the Economic and Trade Committee of the JPA Workshop of the Africa-EU Platform for Dialogue on Governance Issues, 13-14 September 2010, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia See ECDPM Background notes: • Note 1: Background note EN FR • Note 2: Comparing the positions of the EU and the AUC: two possible models for the platform? EN FR • Note 3: Operationalising the Platform EN FR See also the agenda EN FR African institutional actors discuss the African Governance Architecture, 22 January 2010 The meeting focused in particular on the creation of an African Governance Platform to strengthen dialogue, coordination and harmonisation of activities and ensure that Africa “speaks with one voice”. In 2010, the Governance Programme of ECDPM, in conjunction with its African counterpart, the African Governance Institute (IAG) in Dakar, will continue its engagement with the AUC on this timely process. Read the ECDPM informal note '' African Institutional Actors Discuss the African Governance Architecture in Nairobi '' ECDPM's Jean Bossuyt presents Sector Governance research to EuropeAid Anti-corruption seminar

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Selected programme publications

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“Revolutions need to come from inside but transitions can do with support from outside” – So, what is the EU offering? Faten Aggad, ECDPM Talking Points, 13 January 2012 Byiers, B. 2011. Measuring the development impact of loans used for public investment projects, ECDPM Talking Points Transparency, economic governance and development: The Extractive Industry Development Forum, Jan Vanheukelom, ECDPM Talking Points, 16 December 2011 Engaging Non-State Actors in New Aid Modalities For better development outcomes and governance. Tools and Methods Series Reference Document number 12 Discussion paper 124: Analysing governance in the water sector in Kenya Using a “Governance Analysis Framework” and political economy analysis, this paper highlights some of the most important issues that hamper progress in improving water sector governance in Kenya. Case studies on German Support to Domestic Accountability This stock-taking exercise conducted by ECDPM in 2010/2011 explores how German development cooperation aims to strengthen domestic accountability systems in the context of new aid modalities, such as budget support and programme-based approaches. The exercise focused on support in five countries (Bangladesh, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Peru, Tanzania), including aspects of donor coordination and harmonisation. EC reference document Engaging Non-State Actors in New Aid Modalities, January 2011 For evolving insights, lessons and experiences, see the online Working group Training material on Harmonisation, Decentralisation and Local governance This material has been developed by ECDPM-THA-Wageningen University for a training course (DEVCO, Brussels, 24-28 January 2011). This training is an initiative of the Development partner Working group on local governance and decentralisation, as part of the Joint Donors' Competence Development Network 'Training4dev'. Briefing Note 22: The future of EU budget support to third countries? Hudson, A. 2011. How can donors best support the strengthening of domestic accountability in developing countries? Final report from the Roundtable on Domestic Accountability and Aid Effectiveness at the European Development Days ECDPM Briefing Note 21: Where is the Paris Agenda heading? Changing relations in Tanzania, Zambia and Mozambique, February 2011 Aggad, F. 2010. Addressing the APRM’s Programmes of Action. In: Grappling with Governance: Perspectives on the African Peer Review Mechanism. Gruzd D. (Ed.), Jacana Media: Johannesburg. Breakthrough made in anchoring decentralisation in the governance structures of the African Union (Informal Note). Un regard ouest-africain sur l’appui à la redevabilité politique OECD DAC Network on Governance and ECDPM survey of donor practices in assessing governance: Donor Approaches to Governance Assessments: Guiding Principles for Enhanced Impact, Usage and Harmonization Sourcebook on Donor Approaches to Governance Assessments Further information on the OECD DAC GOVNET Conference on Governance Assessments and Aid Effectiveness including access to the case studies EC Evaluation on aid delivery through Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) In 2008 ECDPM together with its partner Particip prepared an evaluation for EuropeAid shedding light on the challenges the EC and other donors face when engaging with and supporting CSOs. Assessing decentralisation and local governance in West Africa Taking Stock of Strengthening the Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity of Local Actors (PDF) See the full list of programme publications See the Governance team's contributions on the capacity4dev platform See the publications of the Africa Power & Politics policy research consortium

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Meet the governance team

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Jan Vanheukelom, Head of Programme Governance Christiane Loquai, Policy Officer Governance Alisa Herrero Cangas, Policy Officer Governance Faten Aggad, Policy Officer Development Policy & International Relations and Governance Jean Bossuyt, Head of Strategy Volker Hauck, Head of Knowledge Management & Communication Niels Keijzer, Policy Officer Development Policy & International Relations Melissa Julian, Knowledge Management Officer - Editor Weekly Compass